Victorian Public Service Exam Study Guide (2026)
Everything the Victorian Public Service (VPS) Jobs and the Victorian Government Graduate Program tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | Graduate program: Cognify, a game-based online test of verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning; then a small number of pre-recorded video interview questions. The number of Cognify items is not published. Ordinary VPS jobs: no standard test |
|---|---|
| Time | Allow at least 30 minutes for Cognify, about one hour for the video interview, at least 30 minutes for the work sample and 1.5 to 2 hours for the virtual assessment centre (vic.gov.au) |
| Passing score | No published pass mark. Each graduate stage is a hurdle; VPS jobs are filled on merit by comparing candidates against the key selection criteria in the position description |
| Format | Unsupervised online assessments. Once you start the work sample you cannot pause or retake it. Reasonable adjustments (extra time, captioning, questions in advance) are available, including through the First Peoples and disability pathways |
| Certifying body | Victorian Government departments and agencies as employers, with standards set by the Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) under the Public Administration Act 2004; the graduate program is run through the VPSC with assessment partner Criteria |
| Test provider | Online application on careers.vic.gov.au (graduate program through grads.vic.gov.au). Graduate assessments are online: Cognify game-based cognitive test and a recorded video interview (both by Criteria), then a virtual assessment centre with a work sample and a live virtual interview panel. Ordinary VPS jobs mostly use a panel interview, sometimes with a written test or work sample |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
Read the complete Victorian Public Service study notes for “The Job and Eligibility”
Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 11 minutes of reading: Where VPS employees work · Grades and pay · Eligibility · What the VPS looks for, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.
1. The Job and Eligibility
The VPS is the core of the Victorian public sector: departments such as Premier and Cabinet, Treasury and Finance, Justice and Community Safety, Health, Education, Transport and Planning, Government Services, plus administrative offices. Jobs are advertised on careers.vic.gov.au; graduates apply through grads.vic.gov.au.
Key facts
- Grades: VPS 1 to VPS 6, Senior Technical Specialist (STS) and executives. Each grade has value ranges (for example 3.1 and 3.2) and progression steps.
- Salaries from 1 May 2026 (VPS Enterprise Agreement 2024): VPS 2 $62,104 to $79,753; VPS 3 $81,496 to $98,955; VPS 4 $100,894 to $114,476; VPS 5 $116,413 to $140,849; VPS 6 $142,790 to $191,084. One agreement covers the whole VPS, and the next increase is due 1 May 2027.
- Each ad states the work-rights requirement. The graduate program requires Australian or New Zealand citizenship or Australian permanent residency (an application for PR is not enough) and excludes temporary graduate visa holders.
- Graduate program eligibility (2027): degree at AQF Level 7 or above completed between 1 January 2024 and 1 January 2027, available full time from February 2027, consent to a police check, no Victorian public sector voluntary redundancy in the previous 3 years.
- Graduate pay: $68,408 plus super, then an ongoing VPS 3 role at $83,941 plus super at the end of the program.
- Most roles are in Melbourne's CBD; some are in regional Victoria. Flexible and hybrid work is available under the Victorian Government's flexible work policy.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Compare the ad's grade with the salary table so you know which value range the job sits in; it also tells you how senior your examples should sound.
2. Cognitive Ability Test: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning
Graduate applicants sit Cognify, a game-based cognitive ability assessment delivered by Criteria that covers verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning. Allow at least 30 minutes. Ordinary VPS roles may use written tests set by the department.
Key facts
- Verbal: apply every condition in a rule, including exceptions ("only if", "but"). Answers that add outside facts are wrong.
- Vocabulary: know common public-sector words: impartial (unbiased), probity, accountability, stakeholder, procurement.
- Numerical: percentage change uses the original value as the base (250 to 290 is a 16% rise).
- Rate problems: find the rate per person per day, then scale (6 people x 5 days = 180, so 6 per person per day).
- Game-based tests reward quick decisions; accuracy still counts, so do not guess wildly.
- Do the test in one sitting in a quiet space with stable internet; you get one attempt.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Play short timed reasoning games daily for a week before the test. Familiarity with the game format saves seconds on every item.
3. Cognitive Ability Test: Abstract Reasoning
Abstract reasoning items ask you to find rules in shapes, symbols or number patterns and apply them. Cognify includes abstract reasoning alongside verbal and numerical tasks.
Key facts
- Number patterns: check the gaps (2, 3, 5, 9, 17 has gaps of 1, 2, 4, 8, so 33 is next).
- Shape sequences: track one feature at a time: rotation, shading, number of sides, position, size.
- Rotations: 90 degrees clockwise goes up, right, down, left.
- Alternating features (shaded, unshaded) often run alongside a second rule.
- Odd-one-out items: find the rule most of the items share, then the item that breaks it.
- If no rule appears quickly, eliminate options that break a feature you are sure of.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Say the rule out loud ("turns right, swaps shading") before you look at the options. It stops attractive wrong answers pulling you in.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question Victorian Public Service test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. Key Selection Criteria, Cover Letter and Work Sample
Ordinary VPS jobs come with a position description listing key selection criteria (KSC) or capabilities. Depending on the ad, you respond with a cover letter or separate KSC statements. Graduates complete a stream-specific work sample in the virtual assessment centre.
Key facts
- Follow the ad exactly: some want a cover letter addressing the KSC in 1 to 2 pages; others want separate KSC responses with word limits.
- Give one specific example per criterion using Situation, Task, Action, Result, with a measurable outcome.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Write a master document with 8 to 10 STAR examples. For each new job, pick and tailor the best match for each criterion rather than starting from scratch.
5. Pre-employment and Misconduct Screening
Pre-employment and misconduct screening verifies identity, integrity and credentials before a formal offer. It is mandatory for all executive and non-executive positions in the VPS.
Key facts
- Screening applies to candidates from your own organisation, the VPS, the wider public sector and outside it.
- Preferred candidates complete a statutory declaration and consent form about past misconduct (or the misconduct declaration form if they cannot use a statutory declaration).
Flashcards
Exam tip: If you have any past disciplinary matter, declare it accurately with context. Non-disclosure that is later discovered is treated far more seriously than the original issue.
6. Interviews and the Public Sector Values
Most VPS jobs are decided at a panel interview with behavioural and scenario questions. Graduates record a video interview and then attend a live virtual interview panel. The Victorian public sector values and Code of Conduct underpin the questions.
Key facts
- The seven values (Public Administration Act 2004 s7): Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership, Human Rights.
- Responsiveness: frank, impartial and timely advice; high quality services; identifying and promoting best practice. Integrity: honest, open and transparent; reporting improper conduct; avoiding conflicts of interest; earning and sustaining public trust.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Prepare one example for each value. Panels often close with "Tell us about a time you showed integrity", and a ready answer makes a strong finish.
7. Application Strategy and Timeline
Ordinary VPS jobs are advertised year-round. The graduate program runs once a year, opening in autumn and finishing with offers in late winter.
Key facts
- 2027 graduate timeline: application 13 April to 17 May 2026; Cognify 28 May to 1 June; video interview 10 to 15 June; virtual assessment centre information session 24 June; work sample 2 to 7 July; virtual interview panels 16 July to 4 August; outcomes mid to late August.
- Streams for 2027: Generalist (any degree), Accounting and finance, Economic consultancy (mostly at the Department of Treasury and Finance) and Data analytics.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Subscribe to the graduate program email list so you hear when the next intake opens; the window is only about five weeks.
8. Graduate Program and VPS Career Path
Graduates work in 2 roles across 2 departments over 12 months with training, mentors and peer networks, then move into an ongoing VPS 3 role. Careers then progress by applying for higher grades on merit.
Key facts
- Two rotations in different departments; roles include policy, communications, project, community engagement, budget, finance, economics and data analysis.
- Learning and development, executive mentoring and a graduate network are part of the program.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Use each rotation to build at least one example for every key selection criterion you see in VPS 4 ads; that is usually your next step up.
How to pass
- Read the position description, not just the ad: the key selection criteria (KSC) are what the panel scores, and your cover letter or KSC responses should give one evidence-based example for each.
- For the graduate program, practise game-style reasoning (verbal, numerical, abstract) under time pressure. Cognify rewards quick, accurate pattern spotting, and each area tests a different strength.
- Learn the seven Victorian public sector values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. Interviews and scenario questions draw on them.
- Be honest in the pre-employment misconduct declaration. Screening is mandatory for every VPS position and covers past misconduct, police history and identity.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the Victorian Public Service exam?
Most working candidates need 4 to 8 weeks at 45 to 60 minutes a day. Book your exam once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the Victorian Public Service exam online?
It depends on the agency. Online application on careers.vic.gov.au (graduate program through grads.vic.gov.au). Graduate assessments are online: Cognify game-based cognitive test and a recorded video interview (both by Criteria), then a virtual assessment centre with a work sample and a live virtual interview panel. Ordinary VPS jobs mostly use a panel interview, sometimes with a written test or work sample. Written and aptitude tests are often online now, but fitness tests, medicals and most assessment days are in person, and interviews may be in person or by video. Check the agency's recruiting website for the current arrangements.
What score do I need to pass the Victorian Public Service exam?
No published pass mark. Each graduate stage is a hurdle; VPS jobs are filled on merit by comparing candidates against the key selection criteria in the position description. The exam has graduate program: cognify, a game-based online test of verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning; then a small number of pre-recorded video interview questions. the number of cognify items is not published. ordinary vps jobs: no standard test and a time limit of allow at least 30 minutes for cognify, about one hour for the video interview, at least 30 minutes for the work sample and 1.5 to 2 hours for the virtual assessment centre (vic.gov.au).
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers the job and eligibility, cognitive ability test: verbal and numerical reasoning, cognitive ability test: abstract reasoning, key selection criteria, cover letter and work sample, pre-employment and misconduct screening, interviews and the public sector values, application strategy and timeline, graduate program and vps career path. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium Victorian Public Service study path
Premium Victorian Public Service prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1The Job and Eligibility8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2Cognitive Ability Test: Verbal and Numerical Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Cognitive Ability Test: Abstract Reasoning8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4Key Selection Criteria, Cover Letter and Work Sample8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5Pre-employment and Misconduct Screening7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Interviews and the Public Sector Values7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Application Strategy and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Graduate Program and VPS Career Path7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
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Summarized from the recruiting agency's official candidate information and the rules cited, checked November 2026. Confirm current requirements with Victorian Government departments and agencies as employers, with standards set by the Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) under the Public Administration Act 2004; the graduate program is run through the VPSC with assessment partner Criteria.